Montessori is a system of education based on the understanding that every child has an innate motivation to learn.

Maria Montessori's groundbreaking research on "sensitive periods" in children's development, when they are intensely interested in a certain type of learning and master it with much greater ease and speed than would be possible at another time, is a foundation of Montessori education. Another is the fact that young children learn best by using their hands, not by looking or listening, so the Montessori materials are developed with that principle in mind. The lengthy work period in the morning develops the young child's concentration and focus in a natural, unforced way. The close attention paid to each child's interests and needs sometimes means that a child will begin reading or writing quite early; however, it's a myth that Montessori education "pushes" early academics. Each child develops according to his or her own natural rhythm.

We know that children learn best by using all their senses, not just by listening, so we provide carefully designed Montessori materials to support children's need to feel, smell, manipulate, and hear, and a thoughtfully prepared environment that promotes physical, academic, and psychological development. Traditional education divides learning into arbitrary categories, but the Montessori curriculum is a deeply interconnected one, with children never learning unconnected facts, but always focusing on integrated patterns of knowledge. At every level, our program is rich with multi-sensory, self-directed learning, conflict resolution skill-building, and an emphasis on both collaboration and independent thinking. Our students learn not a laundry list of quickly outdated facts, but the skills necessary for a lifetime of learning and discovery.

Great Foundations Montessori

As Montessori educators, we know that children have an innate motivation to learn. We also know that children learn through play, but that it is up to parents and teachers to provide the right environment in these crucial years to allow the child to flourish.

Within the nurturing atmosphere of Great Foundation Montessori’s Early Childhood programs, children naturally work and play with interest and focus, developing a habit of concentration and love of learning that will last them all their lives.